Welcome Back
by Fae 206
Summary: After being locked in a room full of Kryptonite, Superman is ready to accept his death with his last thoughts being on his wife, Lois. However, when he's brought back, the once Clark Kent finds himself in a very different body, a Californian "surfer dude". How can this work out between the two of them? And are his powers ever going to come back? (Kind of AU)
1. Chapter 1- Who Am I?

**AN:** For anyone reading, this doesn't have a certain time that it falls into. A lot of my earlier Superman knowledge was drawn from the TV show, Lois and Clark but more recently I've been comics from throughout Action Comics' and Superman's run. Therefore thanks for your understanding of any inaccuracies. Thank you for choosing to read.

 **Welcome Back**

 **Chapter One – Who Am I?**

Being in a room full of Kryptonite wasn't the best thing for Kal-El, son of Jor-El, known to his friends and family, including his wife, as Clark Kent. No, being in a room filled with Kryptonite wasn't the best thing and he had no idea how to regain control of his body. He was dying. After all of this time, he wasn't going to be himself anymore and he was losing grip of reality. He closed his eyes attempting to slow his breathing but it was useless. All of this was futile and help didn't seem to be coming. He closed his eyes one last time, brought his body down to the lowest energy needed to function and took a soft breath in.

"I love you, Lois," he whispered before his body couldn't take it and he fell out of the world. He had failed his biological parents in his ability to live a full and good life on Earth. He had failed his adoptive parents by not being able to get out of this situation. He had failed Lois who he had always promised to be there for. At least his last thoughts were of her.

Hopefully she would know, he sensed that she would know.

No, she would know that his last words were saved for her.

…

…

"Patient is regaining vital signs," a voice said and Clark looked up very confused.

Was he in the hospital? No, nothing would have saved him at that point. He took a labored breath and kept his eyes closed. He took another breath, his heart softly beating in his chest and stretched out a hand, moving his fingers.

He opened his eyes and the world felt so different.

There wasn't the strength and power that he had so often felt in his daily life. There wasn't the ability to hear whatever was surrounding him. He looked to the side of him to see where Lois was kneeling down and crying onto the sheets, her eyes were red but she looked up to him with such hope.

Why did this all feel so different? He felt weak. This was most likely because of the Kryptonite.

He should have known that Lois would be able to find him.

"Is there any family members that we can contact for your friend?" the doctor asked and Lois shook her head as Clark stared at her confused. Of course there was and why was Lois being called his friend. He didn't understand. He looked at her confused and she placed a finger over her lips trying to tell him to keep quiet and to just trust in what was happening around him. It was hard to trust when he didn't know.

However, he would trust her with his life.

"May I have some time with him?" Lois asked as she grabbed onto Clark's hand, squeezing it and then subtly kissing it. The doctors finished their treatment, hooked some things into his body, injected some needles and then wrote some notes before leaving.

Once Lois was sure they were alone, she went back to the bed, making sure the door was completely shut. Clark looked up at her confused and she came to sit nearer him. "Clark," she whispered as she kissed his forehead, "It is you in there, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Clark asked before finding his voice had taken on some kind of Southern Californian accent instead of his Kansas accent. This didn't feel right. He didn't feel well at all, he felt almost human. "Lois all I can remember is being trapped in that room. I…"

"What kind of room?" Lois asked as she watched him carefully.

"You know, the lab room, the Kryptoni-" Clark put a hand to his forehead as he remembered the pain and exhaustion that he had gone through. Lois had a few tears slip down her cheeks.

"We managed to save you but…there was a problem. We weren't able to use your own body to bring you back. We managed to create one…somehow, I'm not really sure the details about it, I think that Bruce might know a little more," she said trying to pick her words. "Your soul was separated from your body and you're not….you anymore."

"I'm not me?" Clark asked trying to sit up but Lois held him down.

"Please don't try to get up," she asked as she cupped his cheek lovingly. She reached into her purse for a mirror, "You're human and you're not Clark Kent on the outside anymore but I know that you are on the inside," she whispered as she softly kissed his cheek. Clark took the mirror and then stared at the guy staring back at him.

He looked more like a model than a reporter. He had more curvature in his face, he looked younger and he'd guess in his early twenties maybe the same age as a college graduate. He had sandy blond hair which looked a complete mess right now but was medium length. His green eyes were piercing and he looked like one of the top catalogue models. He put the mirror down trying to cope with the shock of knowing he wasn't himself and put a hand on his well defined chest.

At least he looked good but he had absolutely no idea who he was.

"Honey," Lois said as she placed a hand on his broad shoulder, careful of the wires. "I've told you this before, it doesn't matter what you look like or who people think you are. I love you. I have faith in you and we can work on this together," she attempted to promise him.

Taking his hand in hers, Lois lifted it to her lips and kissed him lovingly. She rested his cheek on his hand. "We can go wherever you want, start over, and -"

"Your job," Clark told her, the voice still sounding alien to him…well metaphorically, "You have your career here, we have to stay here, you have to deal with the loss of your husband."

"My husband is right here with me," Lois argued as she closed her eyes and the tears slipped down. "I don't care about superpowers and I don't care if you're not seen by the public as a Kansas boy. I care about how you make me feel, your loyalty, your bravery, your perseverance. I can get a job anywhere or work remotely. I can't find someone else who I will ever love as much as I love you," she said honestly.

"You love your work, I can't let you give it up," Clark argued and Lois shook her head.

"If you don't feel comfortable in this city, we don't have to be here. If asked whether I could give up my job or give up you then I pick you every time. I don't even have to think about it. It's not as if it's a tough decision," she put her hands in her lap. "When do you want to tell your parents?" she asked and Clark's face had a haunted look to it.

"They don't know?" he asked and Lois kissed his forehead.

"Not yet, we were more concerned about how you'd take waking up and forming a new identity. I've told them that we'd try and help you any way that we can and they know that Bruce would try to bring you back but they don't know that you wouldn't be coming back as Clark Kent," Lois closed her eyes. She really didn't care about this change in identity but it would take some time for him to find his footing with this new life.

He was just an average citizen now without an identity though the documents for that could be forged. The majority of Clark's money and possessions had gone to Lois with most of the remainder to his parents. He wasn't someone who had super powers. He wasn't someone who was known as a hero or protector of the city. He wasn't a member of the Justice League. He was just…a person, an everyday human.

The difference and change between the two ideals was going to be very difficult to cope with and Lois wanted to be there for him. He wouldn't have given up on her. She wouldn't give up on him. She placed a hand on his cheek, feeling the change and kissed him again.

"We'll work this out together," she promised as he smiled up at her.

It was going to be hard for her to cope with this but it wasn't as bad as losing him. She would make all the adjustments necessary. She just didn't want to lose him again.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Surfer Bod from Kansas

**AN:** I am so thankful to have people reading this. I really hope that I don't disappoint.

 **Chapter Two : A Surfer Bod from Kansas**

"Well it's a change," Lois said as she sat next to the body that her husband had been resurrected in. She had always liked somewhat nerdy men, she had liked them to dress smart, have confidence, have power and she had thought that Kal-El, or Clark, would have been perfect but she was now having to reconsider what was going on. What she didn't need to reconsider however was how much she loved the man in the bed.

"I want to tell my parents," he told her and Lois had to readjust as she looked at his green eyes. The change scared her because, though she hated to admit it, she could see his blue eyes. Every single change would take some time to adjust.

"I know but it's a little difficult," Lois told him and Clark looked at her.

"Why would it be difficult? I bring up some things that only we know in the Kent family. I mean, it will be difficult for them to feel the change but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be here," he put a hand to his forehead as Lois approached him. "Headache," he told her, "I've had them before."

"You're had them around Kryptonite," Lois commented as she looked around. "They are going to be more frequent in the future and there's so many different types of headache. It'll be interesting from a health perspective but you've had your powers drained before and I'm here. I'll be able to take care of you."

Clark swung his legs over the bed and stood up, he still had some good height in his build. He moved over to the window as Lois watched him, "I'm still not convinced that you should give up your job, no definitely not convinced, maybe I should leave alone."

Lois stared at him, she felt shaken as she watched him. She understood him enough to know that the conversation about him not being with her was more about wanting her to thrive in her career rather than any loss of love but she didn't want him to be alone in these circumstances. She didn't want to pretend to be a grieving widow either, not seeing Clark's new form and having to pretend to mourn for him weren't things that she was happy about. It didn't mean she couldn't do it but she definitely didn't _want_ to do it.

"Work will come back, we can go back to being reporters….I'm sure of it," she said as he raised an eyebrow. "How about staying with your parents? That way we can clear our heads and we don't have to make such a huge adjustment. I'll call your mother right now."

"Let them know I'm okay, honey?" Clark requested and Lois nodded, slipping into the hallway with her hand clasping her phone.

Lois retreated into a more closed off area of the hospital, she needed to keep this secret but she was happy that she would be able to give them the news. With the media starting to report the death of Clark, Lois had to really wonder how long it would take before Smallville would receive the news. She didn't want either of her in-laws to be heartbroken.

On the second ring, Martha picked up the phone, much to Lois's relief. "Dear, please tell me that I -"

"Clarke's alive but he's not really Clark anymore, at least not on the outside," she said and Martha froze. Lois could hear her nervous breaths as she kept the phone close to her. Lois wondered if maybe one day this would be here, an anxious mother needing to know how her kid was doing.

"Just tell me it straight, dear," Martha said as she tried to control her breathing. There were so many possibilities that were brought to mind. If her son was just some air in a jar then that was a lot worse than his brain being placed inside of a robotic version. Then again, he might have just lost his powers and been injured with a scar on his face. "Please, Lois, tell me what is happening with my son."

"He's in another body," Lois replied, "We had to place his soul into another body if we were ever going to provide for his survival."

"I see, well is there anything that I should know about this body? Any scars? Any history?" Martha asked nervously, she just wanted to make sure that her baby boy was surviving. No matter what the outside of his body looked like, she would always want to take care of him, to be a mother to him.

"He doesn't have his powers, that'll be the biggest adjustment for him but I guess it'll be a surprise when we come and see you, would that be okay, coming to see you?"

"Dear, of course that's okay. Take care of yourself, sweetheart, okay?" Martha said in her motherly way and Lois smile.

"I promise," she said before getting off of the phone.

…..

…..

Martha wasn't sure what to cook or whether to cook. She had always been able to rely on her son's appetite because he was an alien but now, now it didn't seem that he carried that status and so wouldn't be able to eat as much. Maybe his tastes had even change so she couldn't be selective on what she cooked by basing it from Clark's favorite dishes.

She was also worried that her son wouldn't allow her to be a part of his new life because that's what he was going to have to have, a new life. She heard the doorbell ring and looked over at Johnathon, "Make him feel welcome," she told him, "Make him remember that we're still his parents and he's still our son."

"I never had any intention not to," Johnathon replied and Martha went to the front door. She took a quick breath in before straightening her appearance. She was in complete shock as she came face to face with the tall, dark blond haired man.

"Clark?" Martha gasped as she could see the emotional response on her son's face. He could look different but the mannerisms and facial expressions would most likely stay the same.

"Hey," Clark replied and Martha covered her mouth. "Is it okay that -"

"Let me just take a look at you," Martha said before turning his body and Clark let her, thirsty for her touch, wanting to still be seen as her biological son. Martha laughed, "Well, you know, even though you did look like a vigilante before you look like one of those fashion models you'll see in Los Angeles."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Clark told her.

"Oh, she most definitely means it as a compliment," Lois said before putting a hand on his chest, she turned to Martha. "Is it still okay that the two of us stay with you?"

"Of course," Martha said as she still had to take in Clark's new form, he was just so different from how he used to look. She wanted to make sure that he was doing okay without his powers. It was terriby difficult for a mother to see their child during a time of sickness and this was a twist on the afterlife. She had to be grateful for that, Clark wasn't in the after life.

"I was hoping that I could do a little help around the farm," Clark suggested and Martha nodded.

"We'll test your limitations but your father will definitely find you something to do," Martha took a nervous breath in. She wanted to know why her little boy looked the way that he did. She understood that it was a huge change that had been a way of saving his life but nobody would have been able to say the two men were ever the same person. She also understood how much fear was involved.

In Martha's mind, she wanted to keep Clark in Smallville for as long as possible so that she could protect him and help guide him in his figuring out who he heck he was.


	3. Chapter 3 - A New Set of Farm Hands

**AN:** Thank you for reading 😊

 **Chapter Three – A New Set of Farm Hands**

Clark felt guilty, he had never thought that farm work was difficult but that's because he had to grow up keeping his powers under control. Whenever the Kryptonite had taken control over his body, his parents had told him that he was sick and that he needed to rest. Clark wasn't sure what he was anymore but he was glad that his Ma and Pa were treating him as if he were the same person or Kryptonian.

He felt himself out of breath as he tossed another bale of hay up onto the heap and Johnathon walked over to him. It was strange to see his son over exert himself and though this was taking half the time that Johnathon would have spent doing it alone, if this was Clark as he formerly was they would have been done an hour ago.

"You shouldn't push yourself too much, you just came out of the hospital," he said and Clark shook his head.

"Pa, we're almost done," he said as he looked at the few bales that still needed to be packed up. Johnathon shook his head. His son needed to rest. It must be difficult to finally accept that you only had human strength when you were so used to being so much more than a regular person.

"We can finish it all after we've talked," he said before gesturing with his head for the two of them to sit down. He put a hand on Clark's back, trusting that this was his son because of the knowledge of their family and also because of the small gestures and expressions that were like the man he had been. Still, Clark had to realize that there were differences and it wasn't like Kryptonite, this was more permanent.

"Okay, Pa" Clark said as he tried to push the blond hair back. He definitely looked out of place on a small Kansas farm. This made Johnathon a little more worried about him.

"You know that your mother and I have always loved you, even if you were to dematerialize," he said and Clark nodded. Johnathon grabbed him a cup of water. "And you shouldn't ever feel the need to prove to us what you're capable of. I think that you know that to your mother and I, it's your heart and your head that defines you, not the cape or the suit."

Clark nodded, "Thanks," he said slowly and Johnathon became more concerned by this. Clark was hanging onto the past and that made him worry more that he might put himself in danger. He was a mortal now, the danger would be the same as to any other man and as his father, his adoptive father, Johnathon didn't want to see his son die.

"So, this new life that you're going to have to get used to, we still want to be a part of that," Clark heard his dad say and he nodded slowly. He wasn't even aware of what name he was supposed to have. He felt a little disconnected from everything but his dad was willing to accept him for who he had become and not judge him on not being the person that he used to be.

"Thanks," he nodded before looking around. "It's a good thing that you taught me to use my head and not my body," he told him and Johnathon nodded. "I think that I'd still make a pretty good writer. Maybe I'll have to start small, nothing like what I used to do, I don't think I still have the qualifications to do that but I could start online, write blog articles things like that."

"You know, you don't have to hide behind one of those computer jobs," the farmer tried to remind his kid. "You're still plenty attractive to the women, I bet you could get one of those late night hosting jobs."

"You've always told me that those late-night hosts don't use their heads enough and should know how to do a real day of labor," he said and Johnathon laughed, "You think you could still support _that_ type of a lifestyle," he joked.

"As long as the two of you are safe and happy, I couldn't ask for more," he said and Clark took another gulp of his drink before going back to pick up another bale of hay. He took it by the twine that was bundling it together and picked it up with both hands, moving it to give the area a little more space. He would have to work a heck of a lot harder but he could do it.

…..

…..

"It must be hard, dear" Martha said as she handed Lois a cup of coffee which Lois took, her attention directed outside towards the farm. Clark was a human now, he wouldn't have the same strength as he had done for most of his life. When he was his old self, he had been able to work with ease and just get the work done on the farm completed in less than an hour. It certainly freed a lot of time up for the Kent family but now he had to invest more time in it. "Lois, honey?" Martha asked and Lois turned her attention to her in-law.

"Sorry, Martha. I was just thinking about how frustrating this must be for Clark," she commented. "I know that he wants to get things done quickly for the two of you. He probably is upset that he isn't able to complete the same amount of work in the time that it used to take him."

"I worry about that too but it isn't his speed I miss, I just…I always feel glad when I hear that he's had another chance at life and I suppose that I'm rather selfish at times, wishing that he pay more attention to himself than going off and saving the world," Martha sighed before closing her eyes nervously. "I just…what I want as a mother is for him to be safe but Clark has always done things to help other people, he's not selfish enough to stop helping people."

"I know what you mean," Lois smiled as she saw the new Clark and Johnathon come out of the barn. "It sometimes makes me question myself but he always assures me that because I am thinking of others with my actions, it makes me a decent person. I suppose this disguise is a lot more than a pair of glasses."

"His heart is the same, that's what matters," Martha smiled before standing up to make some more coffee for her boys. She looked at Clark and put a hand to his shoulder as he looked at her stunned. She squeezed his shoulder. "Let's get some meat on your bones before you and Lois head off to wherever you're going," she said and Lois opened her mouth to argue but Johnathon cut her off.

"Well, the boy's not going just yet, we've still got some time. I hope that you're not thinking of leaving either," he said to the reporter and Lois grinned, shaking her head. It was good to spend some quality time with the loving couple in this quaint community.

Still, Clark seemed to stand out even more with how he now looked. Someone might even assume him to be foreign and it was going to be hard for him to be around the people whom he had known since he was a child and to have them looking back at him with blank faces. She moved in front of him and gazed into his eyes before kissing him, knocking him back a little before he kissed her back.

"No matter what happens," she told him gently, "I love you. I'm going to stay by your side and we're going to face this together," Lois heard Clark's phone ring and she frowned. Who would be calling? Most people considered him dead and she didn't want for anyone to put him in danger? Hopefully it would just be a junk call.

Clark took the phone out and stared at the name, Lois frowned as she too looked at the name on the phone. Her stomach twisted as she stared at the five letters flashing on the phone.

'Bruce'

 **End of Chapter Three**

 **Thank you for reading**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Quest for Super

**Chapter Four – The Quest for Super**

When Clark woke up he felt a sharp pain in his body, an unnatural pain and he tried to sit up. His eyes were sore which hadn't happened before and he felt that there was a pull at his back. So this was what it was like to be human. He put a hand on Lois's upper arm and squeezed it lovingly before getting out of the bed. Everything felt heavy and he would usually feel like he was drifting even when he wasn't. Was this what it felt like to be old?

He slowly went to the mirror, taking in his new form and then turned back to Lois. She hadn't signed up for this life. She had agreed to live with the super man not with just some average man. No. He hadn't suffered from low self-esteem for a long time, not since he was a kid. He had to get his mind back, try to focus and fit in with this new lifestyle change.

Clark noticed that a light was on and followed it. He was a little glad that he wasn't the only one awake but he hoped it wasn't because of him. He was starting to feel strange even to approach his parents. He sighed and looked away. They were still his parents, right? They wouldn't reject him because of a change of appearance?

As Clark reached the living room he could see his mother by the window with a book placed on the table, she was staring out of the window as he approached her. His back really pulled but he didn't want to cause her further inconvenience by making the pain known.

"Ma'?" he asked as he stood in the doorway and Martha smiled.

"You're up early," she said as she moved towards her son and smoothed out his hair, "Anything that I can get for you, dear?" she asked and Clark hung his head.

"Did I wake you?" he asked and Martha shook her head. She gently touched his cheek and looked into his eyes to see the deep layers of pain that he was going through. "Come," she gestured to him, "Sit with me. Did you want to talk about anything?"

"No, I'm fine," he said before pulling his back and he couldn't act quick enough to not have the pain show in his expression. Martha took him by the shoulder and led him to the table. She gently brushed his hair back.

"You don't seem fine," she commented and Clark paused, he stared at her before guiltily dropping her head. "Clark, you may look different but you're still our son. It's still you despite what body you might be in. I know that your body isn't affected by Kryptonite any longer so maybe it's a pain that I can help you overcome? What hurts?" she leaned forward and Clark pulled back.

"I'm fine, Ma', nothing is hurting," he said quickly and Martha hummed in disbelief of those words. She raised an eyebrow trying to tell him not to lie and Clark sighed. "My back is aching a little, my shoulder too. I…is this what regular people feel?" he asked and Martha nodded.

"It's called a hard day of work, maybe you shouldn't help your father tomorrow…or today," she said before Clark looked at her nervously. He shook his head. He had always helped his father out on the farm, this wasn't somewhere that he could be selfish. These people were his parents, they had raised him, he couldn't disrespect them by not showing his gratitude. "Then you should take it slowly. Talk to your father, he'll understand," she said and Clark shook his head. "Stubbornness will only lead to a further increase of that pain," Martha warned him.

"How can you be fine with this?" he asked and Martha looked at him before getting to his side and gently massaged his back. "You raised one child and I'm completely different from him. I mean my mind hasn't changed but my body has, my strength has. You and Pa' took years to help me develop, how can you just be okay welcoming me back when I'm in a –"

"I thought we raised you better than to consider the outside most important," Martha told him as she pushed his hair back lovingly and in a way that only a mother could do. "Clark, you nearly died and according to Lois, not even a Kryptonian would have been able to save you any other way…or you were dead or…I'm not sure," she said as tears pricked her eyes. "Wouldn't you rather have Lois in another body rather than dead?"

"Of course I would," Clark nodded and so Martha gave him a side hug.

"Things _will_ get better, I'm not just saying that," she said as she stood and kissed the top of his head. "What do you say we both get some rest?" she asked and Clark nodded before going back to bed.

…

…

A few days later, Lois was starting to feel stomach pains at how she felt that she was with Clark but that he was isolating himself. Ever since he had really pulled his back and his dad had told him that he wasn't allowed to help on the farm anymore, it was as if he was having an identity crisis. She couldn't blame Johnathon though. Clark was hurting himself and they all wanted to make sure that he was protected.

She still wanted to see him though. She looked around before going to where she believed that he would be, it was a part of the house that was used less frequently despite the farmhouse not really being big. She stepped down to the basement and saw multiple papers in front of him. She moved over to him and her eyes caught onto some of the headlines.

 _Justice League holds medicine to become 'super'_

 _Regular people might be able to get super powers._

 _Strange chemicals developed in lab said to give people powers._

She moved over to him. He had seemed fine a week ago with not having his powers back, he had seemed to accept that fact but now he seemed to be falling deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. Lois moved over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump. Was he that deep into this research?

"Clark?" she asked as she sat down next to him, "What are you doing? What are all of these articles? I thought we were going to try to live a normal life," she cupped his cheek, her fingers brushing against his blond hair. He did look completely different and he could probably cosplay as a good Arthur Curry but she was terrified that this removal from the Justice League was going to do more harm to him than good.

"I was super once, I can be so again," he told her and Lois looked at what he was reading. It didn't seem safe.

"Maybe I should call Bruce, he can maybe talk some sense into you," she said before kissing him but found him not to return the kiss. She hummed but decided not to press him on it. He was going through an identity crisis and she couldn't blame him but she was scared he'd turn into a super villain.

Villains and heroes were very similar, both passionate, both wanting to achieve their goal and make a difference but villains had more of an obsession and what she was seeing Clark plunge into seemed to be more of an obsession.

"Bruce won't help, he cares too much about playing on the side of the law," Clark told her and Lois sighed, she let her fingers go through his hair, trying to force him to see reason and to not go down a similar path to Lex.

"Is the former Superman really talking about breaking the law?" she asked, "I thought your morals were stronger than that."

"I'm not _him_ ," Clark told her and Lois felt a little afraid by the darkness in his expression, "not any longer."

 **End of Chapter Four**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to** Lilbit4 **for reviewing Chapter Three**


	5. Chapter 5 - Back to the Planet

**Chapter Five – Back to the Planet**

Before they had left Smallville for a week, Lois had been warned about the rest of the world knowing about Clark having been Superman but – for their own peace of mind – he had been able to silence anyone who was to approach the Kent farm. This meant a new challenge for the two of them. As they reached the city in the private plane that Bruce had arranged for them, Lois could see Clark – or as he had started to call himself Aaron – getting nervous.

"Hey," she said as she squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek without the piolet noticing. "It's going to be all right. It will be an adjustment at first but we don't need to tell anybody," she said before seeing the city had huge posters of Clark on different buildings. Lois sighed. He needed strength right now.

"Are we planning on going to the Planet first or…" Clark said weakly and Lois bowed her head.

"We can do it in whatever order you want. I would like to talk to Perry as soon as possible, tell him that after your death I need some time for myself. If the city is like this then I dread to think what the newsroom is like." Lois knew that this was a new experience for Clark in a way. He was in a new body with no special powers and was a stranger confronted with his own death.

"Sure, let's just get it over with," Clark said nervously and Lois kissed him again, brushing back the blond hair. She had to admit that he was still attractive in his new body but she missed the way in which he used to look. Superman had been an idol and he seemed to be someone who Clark could try to measure up to but without the reappearance of his super powers never would.

…..

…..

Lois had encouraged Clark to at least wear black out of respect whilst she had put on a very formal black dress and outfit. She squeezed his hand as they made their way towards the office of the editor in chief but as more people approached her, she dropped it and Clark took a few steps back so he could walk behind her. Just as the city had been decorated in memory of Superman, the news room had the same effect with people whispering to her. Clark's desk however was in memory of the man he had been, not the alien. There were flowers covering it and photographs. He had appeared so happy and she walked over, making sure the new Clark was coping well enough.

"Lois!" Jimmy called out, nearly dropping the papers in his hands but managed to put them on the desk next to him. He rushed forwards and wrapped his arms around the grieving widow. Clark took a step back, feeling awkward by being there. "I thought you wouldn't come back here," he said before looking at the memorial. "I'm…I'm…so sorry about his…"

"I know," Lois said with a weak smile. She noticed that everyone was wearing black but with a red and blue pin that had the Superman emblem and underneath it read: In Memory. She gestured to it before looking around. "Thank you for doing all of this for him," she said and Jimmy nodded slowly.

"To think…" he said as he struggled with the loss he was experiencing. "All this time, underneath the glasses and the suits but Clark was an exceptional man and he was…I'm honored that we were friends," he said and Lois smiled softly.

"He really did care for you," she attempted to remind him and Jimmy shrugged, struggling to smile but Lois continued. "He did. You know that his secret identity had to be hidden from everyone and him not disclosing that information wasn't about not wanting to establish a connection."

Jimmy nodded sadly before looking at 'Aaron', "Sorry," he said before holding out a hand, "I didn't introduce myself and you came in with Lois so I'm extra apologetic." He laughed weakly. "Umm, you're a -"

"Friend of Clark's," he said and Jimmy nodded. "Yes, I decided to come here from where I work on a farm in Kansas, Lois needed some support," he commented and Jimmy smiled weakly.

"I think Clark was a better guy than Superman," he said and Clark watched his friend knowing it was for the best that he didn't know his identity. He had to make a new start for himself and he was starting to wonder whether he had been doing the right thing by looking up so many articles about his superhero friends and longing to be with them.

"Me too," he told him, "My name's Aaron Hay…wood," he said and Jimmy nodded.

"Jimmy Olsen," he smiled weakly. "You came to see Perry, right?" Jimmy asked Lois who nodded. "He's about finished with his phone call."

"I'll wait here," Aaron told him before looking at the pictures, "I'm happy to see how much his friends and colleagues care about him," he said and then sighed. He wished that he could just return seamlessly to his old life but it seemed impossible. He turned towards the computer, maybe he could transfer over some old files.

As he unlocked the two passwords on the machine, he felt someone's hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Cat standing behind him. He looked at her and blinked as she put a hand on his back.

"You gave a strong figure," she smiled before leaning forward, "One of Clark's friends from back home?" she asked and Aaron nodded, trying to keep his focus on retrieving the files. "You're even more of a darling than he was."

"Please don't talk about him that way," Clark requested and Cat started to walk away, her feelings hurt but Clark didn't have time for that, he had to figure out how to send these files over to himself. Sending them to Lois was probably for the best.

…

…

As Perry and Lois were talking, a discussion that would be told at a following time, Jimmy caught sight of the blond using Clark's computer. He knew that even the IT guy had had trouble working through all the programs and safety precautions that Clark had installed so the fact that this guy had no problems unlocking it was interesting. This guy had seemed to come from nowhere and Clark had never mentioned him. Superman had powers and maybe master of disguise was one of them.

Jimmy made his way over to the desk and placed a hand on the chair, trying to be as silent as possible. He took a breath in to steady himself. "Should we go to the Green Diamond after this?" he asked and Clark continued to concentrate on the files. Jimmy paled. If this was a trap then it was a well designed one that had fooled a top reporter.

"I thought you hated going there,' 'Aaron' replied and Jimmy's eyes widened a little. "Ever since you threw up on that waitress's shoes and we nearly got kicked out. I mean, if I had been drunk that night -"

"You know," Jimmy said in a shaky voice, "That was an embarrassing night for me. I'm glad that my friend got me through it. I'm also glad that my friend promised to keep that incident as a private one just between the two of us. I know that Clark would never break a promise to someone he cared for."

Clark stiffened, he wasn't on his game. All of this memorialization of his life had thrown him off guard and he had believed he had been safe by not looking like the former him. He glanced over to the office before seeing the file transfer end.

He saw the wide eyed Jimmy looking at him as if he was a ghost who had come out of his grave which he pretty much was. He opened his mouth to say something but Jimmy was staring at him and growing increasingly pale.

"Clark?" he asked in a whisper as the blond looked at him unsure whether to admit to the truth or try to push a good friend away.

 **End of Chapter Five**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you very much to** supesfan18 **for their review on the previous chapter**


	6. Chapter 6 - Abilities

**Chapter Six - Abilities**

Aaron laughed softly as Jimmy stared at him, feeling a little disoriented. There was a lot that he had had to comprehend when it came to CK over the past weeks but the fact that he was here right now seemed to be the hardest fact to comprehend. Clark was dead. That was what he had believed, as little as he had wanted to believe it. Well, he was as dead as a superhero could be because the guy he got along with in the office had spent half of his time taking down bad guys and saving the earth from meteors.

Now, the same man who everyone was talking about. The friend that had lied to him about being just a regular guy was standing here in the body of someone else. He had to take slow breaths in order to steady himself. He closed his eyes and bowed his head again.

"I mean, is…it…you?" he asked slowly. "I mean, you're a prince or something, right?"

"I was never a prince, my biological father was a scientist. He was known as being an amazing scientist but he wasn't some legendary king," he said and Jimmy was nodding along. Aaron turned to him with a weak smile. "I thought at least _this_ disguise was better than a pair of glasses."

Jimmy continued to watch him with a dropped jaw. He seemed to be talking about this so casually as if it should have been obvious when he walked in here that he had at once been Clark Kent but this was scaring him. He was human. James Olson had spent his whole life being human, he didn't really understand what a non-human alien was, heck, he didn't even know how to take a picture of one of them.

"You just have to….can you please….please go over this slowly for me," Jimmy tried hard to make a sentence from the words he had in him. He was caught breathless and it felt as if maybe he wasn't worthy of being told such important details but what he really wanted to remember was his friendship with Clark. When it came down to it, Clark showed that Superman could be more normal, he was an everyday guy with the same fears and problems that everyone else had. Aaron had to be the same.

"I'll leave a note for Lois," Clark nodded and smiled as he saw Lois turn back to look at him and smile as if she were caught in a dream, he gestured that he would be going out with Jimmy and she nodded before turning back to Perry.

"I don't understand," Perry said with a heavy sigh, "I thought that the kid was smart, yes, he was smart and dedicated and he worked hard. I suppose a boss doesn't get to know everything about his employees and the extra curriculars but I'd have liked to have heard him tell me that before he died. I mean, in that line of duty," he said and Lois looked away. "How long did you know?"

"I'm an investigative journalist, Perry," Lois said as she stood with her hands at her side but her eyes went to the side where Jimmy and Aaron had left. She knew that she couldn't act romantically with him but she was worried about her husband. It would probably be years until they could make that official but their marriage was still very important. "I knew for a while, definitely before I agreed to marry him."

Perry sighed. He shook his head, not knowing what to say but Lois was a skilled journalist, she could read it all in his body language. He had invested a lot more in Clark than some belief in him being able to do his job correctly and that was something that was very easy to see. Clark Kent had been a very decent and very humble person with a farm boy attitude, it was something that attracted her to him and made her realize that she could never consider this with another person. It wasn't that he was super but the numerous ways in which he was man, human. She sighed and looked out the window again.

"To think that you've moved on so soon though," Perry told her and Lois was barely listening to him, her thoughts were already wrapped up with what Jimmy and Aaron were doing. Clark had seemed upset that he had lost the superhuman part of himself and she really hoped that he had figured out a way of dealing with the sadness that she could hopefully help him to overcome.

"I haven't moved on," she told him and Perry narrowed his gaze.

"The man that you walked in with," he said and Lois looked at him, her eyes widened as she felt her heart twist in her chest. She shouldn't be revealing to people that she even knew who he was and yet Perry wasn't an idiot. He was too intelligent and quick on his feet to be deemed an idiot and he knew. "Really?" he asked and Lois froze.

"You don't….I never said anything," she said, "I can't say one way or -"

"I'd like to meet with him, do you think that you could arrange that?" he asked and Lois knew that she would have to apologize for this but she knew that the editor in chief knew how to keep a private story for someone he felt he had a bond with. Hopefully the hearts of others would be open to Clark and they could use their support to go onto a new life together.

…

…

Jimmy had stopped by a coffee cart and grabbed them something to drink before sitting down at a table near the entrance. He was glad that nobody was around although people wouldn't think that this had anything to do with a superhero in a blue outfit with a red cape. He was said to be dead. Before today, Jimmy had been grieving his friend without feeling the right to even call him his friend.

"So, can you please explain to me what's going on? I know that I'm not as important as any of the Justice League members," he said and Clark raised an eyebrow as he watched him. "I know that to you, I must have been just another normal guy but…."

"You were always more important than most of them," Clark said and Jimmy paused. "I mean, I'm friends with Batman in our daily lives and there's definitely been some attraction between Diana and I but the Justice League is a very large group."

Jimmy bowed his head, okay, he knew that much but it was at least good to know that he had _some_ importance to the blond in front of him…who looked the complete opposite of what Clark Kent was supposed to look like.

"I died, there was something that killed me and I woke up in this body. Apparently the only way of saving my life was to have my spirit reside in a normal body. No powers, nothing. I do apologize for lying to you for all of this time. I know that I might seem ungrateful for our friendship but that is nowhere near the truth of the matter. I am glad that I got to be friends with someone like you. I was always considered an outcast before," he said and Jimmy shook his head.

"I doubt it," he said and Clark took a sip of the coffee in front of him. He felt something in his eyes, some kind of allergen or something. He didn't feel well. This must be what a normal person meant by flu like symptoms, the only way he had ever come close to these symptoms himself was when he had been near Kryptonite. He hated that stuff but it wouldn't affect him anymore. He wasn't a Kryptonian any longer.

As he felt the pain throughout his body, Clark felt his eyelid twitching. Something was wrong. "Get away from me," he said in a very steady voice. "Please, step away from me," he told him unable to explain what he meant but at least Jimmy had enough awareness of the situation to follow orders.

As Clark opened his eyes, he could see the lasers come out and drill into the table. He put a hand to the table top and tried to take steady breaths. Once the pain in his eyes had gone, he felt that he could look up. "I'm sorry," he apologized as Jimmy looked at him startled and then turned to the table which was quite damaged.

"Y-Yeah," he said slowly, "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Clark nodded before standing up straighter and as soon as he did so, he felt dizzy. He sat down before losing consciousness. The last thing that he heard was Lois's voice but she wasn't calling for Aaron, the name that she very distinctly said was Clark.

 **End of Chapter Six**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


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